Pure Torture
by Miss Black Dragon
Summary: Ivan can't sleep, so looks back on memories of Mia, his love. When Mia moans in her sleep, he Mind Reads her, finding that she loves another... Includes death, morbid deja vu, one sided Ivan/Mia, and slight Mia/Isaac. ~~~~~ complete! ~~~~~
1. To be a Jupiter Adept

I sigh to myself, and sit up. To be a Jupiter Adept trying to sleep in the Venus Lighthouse is bad enough. Being a Jupiter Adept trying to sleep in the Venus Lighthouse while listening to the wind blowing around outside is torture. Why try to kid myself into sleeping? I could never get to sleep here, not while the wind's breezing around like there's no tomorrow.  
  
Not while *she's* sleeping right next to me.  
  
I shoot a fond gaze in her direction. I end up staring at her sleeping form, only *just* restraining myself from letting out a sigh of longing, or from reaching out to stroke her soft, cyan hair, touch her face...  
  
With difficulty, I turn away from her to face the purple stone walls of the Lighthouse. Instead of gazing at her, I decide to focus on my memories of her, Mia of Imil...  
  
  
~~~~~ flashback ~~~~~  
  
"I hate snow," Garet grumbled crossly. "Hate it, hate it, hate it, ha-"  
  
"-te it, hate it..." I finished mockingly. He stuck his tongue out at me. "Shaddup."  
  
I made a big display of zipping my mouth shut, then made a rather rude gesture and ran for my life. Both Garet and Isaac sprinted after me, Isaac not going too fast because he was practically doubled over in silent laughter.  
  
I ran over an ice covered bridge, marvelling at the fact that I'd gotten over the bridge at all. Suddenly, I barrelled into an Imilian, resulting in a tangle of people on the ground.  
  
I helped them up. "Heh, sorry about that." I told them, dusting the snow off my tunic and pants.  
  
"IIIIIIIIIIVAN!"  
  
I flushed. "Er, sorry, gotta go!" I yelled, running off. I spotted a break in the fence for the frozen over river up ahead, I turned a sharp left and slid across the ice, not really realizing that I'd just gone a complete circle around the town. I spotted a house and ran in.  
  
"Phew, that was close," I panted. I turned around. A couple of old people and a girl in blue were staring at me.  
  
For the second time that day, I found myself apologizing to these strangers. It suddenly occured to me that we weren't making a very good impression on the Imilians.  
  
The girl sighed. "Do you run into other people's houses every day where you come from?"  
  
"Where I come from, nobody ever chased me with death threats," I replied truthfully.  
  
She was about to speak again when a blue light glinted around the room. I had only just recognized it as the light of Mercury when the girl's eyebrows shot up. "Was that the Lighthouse?" she asked the air, before running outside. I was following soon after.  
  
"Ivan..." Garet said in a warning tone. He'd obviously caught up to me.  
  
"Guys?" I said to them, with a serious look. "I think I've found our first Lighthouse."  
  
~~~~~ end flashback ~~~~~  
  
  
I grin at the memory. I'd been pretty surprised that Mia didn't count first impressions for much in her whole opinion of a person. Of course, the fact that us guys had helped her out quite a bit in the Lighthouse made up for my running into her grandparents' house without knocking.  
  
  
~~~~~ flashback ~~~~~  
  
We sneaked into Mercury Lighthouse as quietly as we could, silently noting the lack of magical healing water in the fountain. Obviously we either sucked at sneaking, or that girl had very good ears, as when we got behind her, she called out, "Hi. This statue's in my way, do you think you could move it for me?"  
  
I elbowed Garet, one of two people in our party with the Psynergy Move. Rolling his eyes with a mutter of "That's right, help the damsel in distress, but don't apologize for doing the Fingers,", he raised a hand and murmured, "Move!" The ghostly hand we were used to floated out and pushed the statue over, revealing an odd spinning light that made me dizzy.  
  
The girl blinked. "There's magic blocking the entrance to the Lighthouse!" she cried. She hopped across the gap between platforms and held a hand to the supposed magic portal, murmuring, "Ply." A little fairy appeared, waved its wand at the portal, and vanished with it. We all blinked. The girl ran into the door she revealed, closely followed by us.  
  
The girl was trying to out-side-step a Lizard Man. "Monsters in the Lighthouse?" she gasped. "How could this be?"  
  
I shot glances at Isaac and Garet, and they nodded. We stepped forward, and fought the monster. It was a quick but tough fight, and Isaac found himself Curing us all.  
  
The girl smiled. "That's the second time you've helped me! Thank you!" With that, she disappeared through the next door. Guess what? We followed her.  
  
This time, there was another statue blocking her way to a ledge. "This statue's blocking my way! How am I ever going to protect Mercury Lighthouse?" she despaired. I nudged Isaac this time, and he reluctantly Moved the statue down into a pit that seemed to be made for that purpose. The girl stared at us.  
  
"That's the third time you've helped me, and you don't even know who I am!" she cried. "Do you have business in the Lighthouse?" As usual, Isaac nodded. "OKay. In that case, I'll join you. My name's Mia, who are you?"  
  
~~~~~ end flashback ~~~~~  
  
  
Seeing as I'd already fallen head over heels for this girl at second sight, I'd been overjoyed that she'd joined us. We went up and up the Lighthouse, Isaac and Garet helping out by Moving statues, Mia paid tribute to goddess statues with Ply, and me? Well, considering there were no leaves for me to Whirlwind, I just worked out puzzles and gave directions for water hopping. By the time we got up to the Aerie, we were a rather closeknit bunch of Adepts.  
  
  
~~~~~ flashback ~~~~~  
  
Mia was nearly in tears. "They lit the beacon... It was my responsibility to protect the Lighthouse, as a member of the Mercury Clan.. I failed..."  
  
Garet looked annoyed. "Look buddy, if you failed in protecting the Mercury Clan, we failed in protecting the secret of Psynergy. Of course, seeing as Psynergy's gotten all the way up to Imil, I guess Psynergy wasn't as big a secret as we thought..."  
  
Mia blinked. "Psynergy? Is that what you call your powers?"  
  
Isaac nodded. "Psynergy is the power of concentrating energy from the mind, then unleashing it in the form of one of the four elements," I elaborated.  
  
Mia nodded carefully. "The Mercury Clan calls the Psynergy with the fairy, Ply. It is a healing power gained through meditation." Suddenly, her eyes brightened. "Are you great healers?"  
  
Garet shook his head. "Don't look at me or Ivan, Isaac's the only one who can heal people, and that's through Cure, a Venus Psynergy."  
  
A confused expression came over Mia's face. "You said you were from Vale... Valeans are the sworn protectors of Sol Sanctem, correct?"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, for Jupiter's sakes," I went, taking Mia's hand and opening parts of my mind to her. In a few minutes, she knew everything that I knew about Sol Sanctem and the Elemental Stars incident.  
  
Mia wriggled her hand out of my grip. "OKay. I think I understand now."  
  
~~~~~ end flashback ~~~~~  
  
  
I draw myself away from the memories of Mercury Lighthouse. Not all of our travels through the Lighthouse had been pleasant, namely a bit of an accident with another Lizard Man in a later part of the Lighthouse...  
  
  
~~~~~ flashback ~~~~~  
  
"Geeze! Two Cuttles, a Lizard Man, three Oozes, a Ghoul, a Gnome, a Mauler, and a pair of Sirens. What did we do to deserve this?" Garet moaned, as the above monsters appeared to attack.  
  
"Come barging into the Lighthouse without knocking on the door?" I suggested, dodging an Ooze's attack. "Hey, let's just all hope for dear life that the Oozes don't try splitting and the Cuttles don't call for help." They did exactly that. "Darn, I jinxed it."  
  
Mia had her hands full with the Gnome and Ghoul, but still managed to put in her two gold coins. "If my memory's serving me well, every monster that may appear in Mercury Lighthouse, with the exception of Gnomes, are weak to Fire based attacks. Garet, you are a Fire Adept, correct?"  
  
Garet nodded, and immediately began Flare Walling every monster he saw. Isaac used his Psynergy as well, throwing Earthquakes left and right. Mia Frosted enemies with very little effect, until she caught sight of the one Gnome in the group and downed it with five Frosts. Me, I was slapping the monsters around a bit with the Blessed Ankh I'd bought at the Imil Weaponry Artifacts. Considering that my Blessed Ankh kept letting out howls and Sealing enemy Psynergy, it made for a rather noisy fight. We could barely hear each other over my Ankh's howls, the cries of the monsters, and the shouting of Psynergy.  
  
That's probably why no one noticed that my health was draining away like water in the Kalay Tunnel.  
  
I caught sight of Mia in the middle of the fray. She looked over my shoulder and screamed. "IVAN, LOOK OUT!"  
  
I whipped round, Blessed Ankh in the ideal bashing position. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for the Lizard Man that towered over me, raised a fist, and whacked me upside the head, instantly knocking me out. I slipped into a world of shadows, starting to dream about angels with blue eyes and hair.  
  
All of a sudden, I came sputtering and coughing into the real world, Mia holding an empty bottle of Water of Life above me in my blurry vision. My ears roared, and I had a massive headache.  
  
"The Lizard Man knocked you out. Are you OKay now?" Mia asked softly.  
  
~~~~~ end flashback ~~~~~  
  
  
I hunt around my mind for more memories of Mia. Yep, there is the birthday "party" I anonymously threw for her in Xian, but that's a long story. I jump, hearing a monster's cry, before remembering that no monster will step over the protective circle of Sacred Feathers we lay out at night while sleeping in the wilderness, or caves or Lighthouses.  
  
Monsters...  
  
Ever since I joined Garet and Isaac, I'd been sneaking out at night to train. Not only did this make me stronger and up to scratch compared to Garet and Isaac, I also got a stash of coins and items that was mine alone. My secret training sessions came in handy, not just for the coins, items, and experience, but when I was exhausted I slept dreamlessly.  
  
The coins came in VERY handy when Mia joined the group. She'd often wake up in the morning to a present by her pallet or bed.  
  
I turn back around to face Mia, who is still sleeping. Suddenly, she moans and turns over. I reach out a hand to Mind Read her.  
  
  
~~~~~ dream sequence ~~~~~  
----- Mia's PoV -----  
  
Alex stands in front of me, smirking the Imil famous smirk that always annoyed me. His sword clatters to the ground, where blood splashes off the sword, to the ground, and onto my robes.  
  
....Blood?  
  
It dawns on me, and I start screaming at him. "Who was it? WHO was it you killed?!?"  
  
Alex smiles, and moves aside.  
  
Isaac's bloodstained body is spread-eagled on the ground in no way a live human being's body should. I gasp, and bile comes rushing to my throat. I face Alex again.  
  
"HOW COULD YOU???" I shriek, tears starting to run down my face. He disappears in a flash of blue Psynergy, then reappears in front of me. He moves to my face, and forces his lips upon mine, coaxing my mouth open and his tongue inside. I recoil at his touch and attempt to break free, but he only tightens his grip. Eventually, he releases me and teleports away without explanation.  
  
I spit on the ground where he was standing, then run back to Isaac and kneel down beside him. His body's too mangled to be alive, but just to be sure I check his pulse.  
  
No pulse at all.  
  
The tears come in steadier streams. I put my head down to his chest and cry.  
  
"Why... oh why did he kill you... It wasn't your time... You can't be dead... I... love you..."  
  
~~~~~ end dream sequence ~~~~~  
----- back to Ivan's PoV -----  
  
  
I rip my hand away from her with a cry of anguish. She stirs, and her eyes start to open.  
  
To be a Jupiter Adept trying to sleep in the Venus Lighthouse with wind blowing around outside and their beloved sleeping next to them is hard enough. But being a Jupiter Adept trying to sleep in the Venus Lighthouse with wind blowing around outside with the knowledge that she loves another, is pure torture.  
  
I pick up my Swift Sword, pocket some Herbs and run out of the Sacred circle as Mia starts to wake.  
  
  
As I put the final touches on a Wild Gryphon, a phrase from the Little Book of Quotes Mia gave me for my birthday comes back to haunt me.  
  
***** The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them. *****  
  
The Wild Gryphon vanishes, leaving some coins and a Feathered Robe in its place. I pick up the items and walk back to the circle, placing the Robe over Mia's still, sleeping shoulders. I lean over her, whispering. "To the world, you may be one person. But to one person, you may be the world. May no more nightmares plague your dreams tonight."  
  
I lie down on my own pallet and burst into tears. Outside the Lighthouse, the wind blows harder. This is torture, pure torture. 


	2. Nothing's wrong!

"WAKE UP TIME!!!" the Djinn screamed, jolting their masters and mistress awake.  
  
Ivan rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Mmph... Feels like I've been up all night..." He yawned, pulling on a fresh tunic and slipping his Swift Sword into its scabbard. "Oh yeah. I was." he muttered.  
  
Mia glanced at him. There were red rings around Ivan's eyes, and dark shadows underneath them. "From the looks of your eyes, you -were- up all night." she criticized, as he muttered something.  
  
Ivan looked into her eyes, then shuddered and turned away with a sad frown. The other Adepts blinked.  
  
"Something wrong, Ivan?" Garet asked, the concern in his voice surprising the group. Ivan and Garet didn't usually get along that well, making for highly entertaining high speed chases around towns and a lot of apologies made.  
  
Ivan, still facing away from the group, shook his head. Garet snorted. "And there I was thinking Isaac was the one with the voice problem..."  
  
Ivan turned back to them, smiling. Starting to chuckle, he picked up a larger-than-norm Herb and swatted Garet on the head with it.  
  
Garet rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, that's what I get for being friendly for once?"  
  
Ivan raised an eyebrow. "And you call remarking about voice problems friendly?"  
  
Garet frowned, unable to come up with an answer. Isaac was doubled over in soundless laughter, and Mia was giggling, bringing a sad smile to Ivan's face.  
  
Isaac stood, having finished packing away the sleeping pallets and Sacred Feathers. He tossed one to the air to show no disrespect for the sacred, then waved his hand in the direction of the next hallway, motioning that it was time to go. Garet grinned, scooping up his Silver Sword and running off down the hallway, Isaac following in his tracks. Ivan and Mia followed next, though at a more sedate pace.  
  
Ivan was facing the wall, walking slowly and dragging his feet. Mia looked over at him, concerned. "Are you sure nothing's wrong, Ivan?" she questioned him.  
  
"Nothing." he said quietly, eyes starting to water.  
  
"Don't 'nothing' me, I can tell when something's wrong, and something's wrong." Mia scolded, smiling.  
  
"Nothing's wrong!" insisted Ivan, starting to reach into his pack for the Cloak Ball.  
  
Mia looked at him, frustrated. "Look at me, Ivan." He refused to turn. "I took a class on psychology once, maybe I can help."  
  
"You wouldn't be able to help, even if I told you what was wrong," he choked out, remembering Mia's nightmare.  
  
"I'll be the judge of that. Tell me."  
  
"Cloak," came the Psynergetic reply. Ivan melted into the shadows.  
  
Mia smacked her forehead, wishing they hadn't let Ivan take charge of "Operation Rescue Hammet". Setting down her Blessed Mace, she rummaged around in her pack for a candle, then ran up ahead to Garet and Isaac.  
  
"Garet, flame please?" she panted, holding out the candle. Garet shrugged, and complied with a small Flare. The wick of the candle burst into a small flame, small, but big enough to chase away shadows.  
  
Mia strode back to around where she left Ivan. She stepped into the darkness by the wall, clutching the candle determinedly in front of her. As she walked through the darkness, the small glow of the candle lit up the area about 30cm around her.  
  
Finally, the light hit a Psynergetic light. Mia moved forward, and Ivan shimmered into vision. He leaned against the wall, his amethyst eyes to the ground.  
  
"About time." Mia grumbled. Her voice took on a kinder tone. "Ivan, I can see this is really troubling you. Please, tell me what's going on."  
  
Ivan was silent for a while, before he looked up at her. His eyes stared into Mia's, she had the feeling that his eyes were searching for something, though she couldn't feel her mind being Read.  
  
"You always said actions speak louder than words, right?" he asked, voice shaking.  
  
She nodded.  
  
Ivan started breathing faster. *It's now or never.* he thought, leaning forward.  
  
Their lips met. The wind blew harder outside the Lighthouse. 


	3. I hate deja vu

Ivan was the one to break the kiss, soulful eyes gazing at her sadly.  
  
Mia was shocked. "Ivan - you -"  
  
He nodded gravely. "Yeah. Ever since I saw you at the Mercury Lighthouse. Love at second sight."  
  
It dawned on her. "And the items in the morning...?"  
  
"That was me too." he admitted.  
  
There was an awkward silence, as Mia struggled with how to take the news. Ivan started walking again, and Mia followed him, hastening her pace to catch up.  
  
"Um.. Ivan... I..." she started hestiantly, not sure how to tell him how she felt.  
  
Ivan stopped abruptly, turning to face her with tear filled eyes. "Don't share my feelings? Love Isaac? Just like me as a friend, or love me as a brother?" he supplied, a bitter tone entering his voice.  
  
Mia frowned, starting to feel terrible. She nodded slowly.  
  
"I knew it." Ivan uttered.  
  
"You Mind Read me?" Mia queried.  
  
Ivan felt his eyes start to overflow. He turned away. "Last night. Your nightmare. One plus one made two."  
  
With that, Ivan sprinted down the hall with Mia on his heels, overtaking Isaac and Garet.  
  
Mia caught up with the two Valeans, with a sad, confused look on her face.  
  
"What's up with him?" Garet asked obliviously.  
  
"He.." Mia trailed off, hearing sounds of a battle. Unnoticed, the wind dropped. "Oh, Mercury.." she muttered, running forward to see what was going on.  
  
What she saw made her gasp, and her heart leap to her throat.  
  
Ivan was spread-eagled on the ground, in no way a living human being's body should be. Blood mingled with tears and feathers all over the area, and Mia could hear the triumphant shrieks of a pair of Wild Gryphons, calling in the distance.  
  
"No.. It's like the nightmare..." Mia whispered, sinking to her knees in the middle of a blood puddle. The blood splattered onto her robes in the same formation as in the nightmare.  
  
She knelt down beside him, picking up his wrist to check his pulse.  
  
"No pulse at all... I hate deja vu..."  
  
The tears started to come, flowing down her cheeks and adding to the mess steadily.  
  
Isaac and Garet rounded the corner, seeing the scene for themselves. "Oh crud." Garet said flatly. "Looks like he got ambushed... He could handle two Wild Gryphons on his own, but if he was caught by surprise or didn't feel like battling..."  
  
Mia put her head to Ivan's chest and cried. The wind blew harder. 


	4. talons chest wounds pain death?

----- Ivan's PoV -----  
  
kissed.. Mia... doesn't... love me...  
  
I knew it...  
  
shouldn't have Mind Read her...  
  
shouldn't have acted like there was something wrong...  
  
shouldn't have ran...  
  
Wild Gryphons.. got me by surprise... talons... chest wounds... pain... death?  
  
weight... water, water everywhere, flooding the blood...  
  
the nightmare... wind blowing... torture....  
  
deja vu...  
  
Mia?  
  
----- end Ivan's PoV ----- 


	5. PLEASE let it be enough

Fear showing in his eyes, Isaac quickly took charge of the situation. He stuck his hand in his pack for a Water of Life, then tapped Mia on the shoulder and held it out to her.  
  
Mia shook her head. "No pulse," she repeated, her eyes tearing up again from seeing Isaac, live and healthy. *It wasn't meant to be like this... He was too young...*  
  
With a questioning expression, Isaac made his hand motion for 'Ply'. Mia obediently leaned back and put her hands over Ivan, concentrating her Psynergy into her strongest Pure Ply. After a few moments, she moved her hands, cutting the power flow short. "Doesn't work." she whispered regretfully. "He's out cold, and there seems to be some sort of venom in the wound... Those were no ordinary Wild Gryphons..."  
  
Isaac rocked back onto his heels looking frustrated. He moved to the other side of Ivan and attempted a Potent Cure, his best healing Psynergy. Though weaker than Mia's Pure Ply, which didn't work, Isaac really didn't like the look of Ivan, and was at a bit of a loss of how to fix him up.  
  
The Potent Cure didn't work either. Isaac stood and started pacing, trying to think of how they could get Ivan better.  
  
Garet, forgotten and leaning against one of the walls, yelled out a suggestion. "Uh, I think the least you could do for him is at least bandage that chest wound up, it might get infected..."  
  
Isaac grinned, snapping his fingers. Running to Mia, he grabbed her healer's bag and tugged at it until she sighed and unlaced it from her belt. Isaac started rifling through it, looking for clean bandages and herbs.   
  
Hurriedly, he set aside the needed items and motioned downwards to Garet, his sign for 'Douse'. Garet nodded, pulling out the Douse Drop and calling up some rain, effectively washing Isaac's hands and most of the blood from the area. Mia scrambled backwards from Ivan and numbly watched as Isaac removed Ivan's shirt, rubbed healing herbs and ointments into the wound and wrapped a bandage around his upper torso with the same gentleness and efficiency as herself or another healer. She smiled slightly. If it weren't for being on a mission to save the world and all, Isaac could become a pretty good healer.  
  
Isaac sat back, Ivan fully bandaged. He'd done all he thought he could do.. now what?  
  
Mia gasped, not needing Ivan's Mind Read to tell what Isaac was thinking. "Isaac... You're at.. Lord level, aren't you..."  
  
Garet opened his eyes. "Yes! Use Revive! That's it, use Revive!" he shrieked.  
  
Isaac's eyes widened, and he nodded in understanding. He took a deep breath, held his hands over Ivan's heart, and closed his eyes. A golden light spread from the Venus Adept's fingers, and angel wings burst from Isaac's back.  
  
"I really, really hope this works..." Mia murmured, clenching her hands as a symbol of lending or giving her Psynergy. The symbol was only used by the Mercury Clan in extreme measures, and she thought this definitely qualified. Her eyes shut as her Psynergy flowed into Isaac's Revive, strengthening it and increasing the healing power. An identical set of wings grew from between her shoulder blades, and Garet could have sworn he saw a halo over her head.  
  
Mia's Psynergy reached deeper than it had ever gone before. As the last of her Psynergy poured into the Revive, Mia collapsed.  
  
Garet sighed, seeing Isaac out of it from concentration, and Mia out of it by Psynergy over use. "It's times like these when I really wish I could heal..." he whispered. "Dear gods: Mars, Kirin, Tiamat, and Meteor... Venus, Ramses, Cybele, and Judgment... Jupiter, Atalanta, Procne, and Thor... Mercury, Nereid, Neptune, and Boreas... Gods, PLEASE let it be enough."  
  
  
  
----- Ivan's PoV -----  
  
Mercury... wash.. didn't.. work..  
  
Chest wound... herbs... ointments... rubbed... in.. bandaged...  
  
PAIN...  
  
Golden...  
  
light..  
  
Venus...  
  
Isaac?  
  
No...  
  
Mercury power...  
  
*and* Venus...  
  
Mia..  
  
Isaac...  
  
Healing...  
  
together...  
  
Thank you...  
  
all of you...  
  
for everything...  
  
Mia... I...  
  
love...  
  
----- end Ivan's PoV ----- 


	6. You were only just brought back from the...

~~~~~ Big Up There ~~~~~  
  
"Hey look, a prayer's coming in!"  
  
The elemental gods and goddesses blinked, as Atalanta blew into the room on a gust of wind, waving a piece of parchment in the air.  
  
"Who's it from?" asked Kirin, a young girl who was in fact the rider of the beast when called upon for Djinn Summons.  
  
Atalanta read the parchment, and frowned. "A Jupiter Adept's in vrai ennui." she answered, momentarily slipping into French in her worry. "He.. died. And this one's the really important Jupiter Adept... one of his companion's currently trying to Revive them, and the girl put all of her Psynergy into the Revive.."  
  
"-Which- Jupiter Adept?" Boreas snapped.  
  
Atalanta looked up, and glanced around the room. "Ivan Hammet." she announced, bringing gasps of horror from around the room.  
  
"He's the one travelling with those kids out to save the world, isn't he?" queried Meteor.  
  
Atalanta nodded seriously.  
  
"Well, we should bring him back from the dead then!" declared Nereid, waving her fan about for emphasis.  
  
"A vote." replied Ramses, always the diplomatic one. "If everyone votes to revive him, revive him we do. All those in favour of reviving Ivan, say Aye."  
  
"Aye!" they all chorused, all except one.  
  
"Judgment?" Atalanta queried gently.  
  
The Venus summon turned. "Just how important is this Ivan to the ones around him?" he asked.  
  
"Isaac, the Venus Adept, considers him one of his best friends." Venus replied.  
  
"Garet, the Mars Adept - he gets a little sick of his joking once in a while, but thinks he's a good guy." Mars added.  
  
"The Mercury Adept, Mia.." Mercury started, trailing off. She bowed her head. "Ivan loves her. After telling her the truth, he ran off and ran into two Wild Gryphons. Mia thinks its her fault he's dead, and feels guilty because of it."  
  
"Then there's Master Hama, his mother." Jupiter stated. "And Master Hammet and Lady Layana, his adoptive parents."  
  
Judgment nodded, needing no more vouching for Ivan's life. "Aye."  
  
Automatically, the gods and goddesses moved into an X formation, with the strongest deities (Judgment, Thor, Meteor, and Boreas) in the center, and the weakest (Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars) on the outer regions. The piece of parchment which had alerted them to Ivan's state in the afterlife lay forgotten on the floor.  
  
Thor, being the strongest god in Ivan's element, stepped forward into the middle of the cross. He spoke in the language of the ancients, basically saying that they were going to take Ivan back from the dead. Bowing his head, he stepped back.  
  
Simultaneously, all sixteen deities raised their arms to the air, then crossed them over their torsos, murmuring, "So mote it be."  
  
~~~~~ end Big Up There ~~~~~  
  
The wind suddenly picked up violently.  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Ivan shrieked, his voice resembling a girl's as he was rudely jerked from death.  
  
"!" Isaac exclaimed, jumping back.  
  
Garet started. "Obviously it worked..." he muttered. He raised his eyes. "Thank you, all a'ya up there."  
  
~~~~~ Big Up There ~~~~~  
  
"You're welcome.. Garet." Judgment murmured, slightly to himself.  
  
~~~~~ end Big Up There ~~~~~  
  
Ivan glanced wildly around. "Mia..." Finally seeing her unconscious on the ground, he leapt up and tried to run to her, before falling over again.  
  
Garet sprinted over and held his shoulders firmly. "Whoa, easy there tiger, you were only -just- brought back from the freaking DEAD you know!"  
  
Ivan went limp, although his eyes were still wild. "What happened to HER?"  
  
"Isaac used Revive, and it didn't seem to be working. So Mia put.. -all- of her Psynergy into the Revive, and it looks like her Mercury Psynergy gave the Revive a healing boost..." explained Garet.  
  
Ivan's amethyst eyes welled up. "She gave her Psynergy.. for.. me?" he whispered, unable to believe it.  
  
"You betcha." Garet frowned suddenly, letting go of Ivan and crossing his arms. "Now tell us, why did you run in the first place? You wouldn't run from a monster, so I think it was something to do with.. Mia, and that sudden silence back there. I think you owe us an explanation."  
  
"Mmph.." Mia's eyes started to ever so slowly open. "Ivan.." she muttered sleepily. "Is he.."  
  
Isaac walked to Mia and gently held her, his eyes containing the answers. Ivan silently fumed at the close contact.  
  
Garet huffed. "So? An explanation?" he queried.  
  
"Of.. what?" Mia said slowly, still recovering her Psynergy.  
  
"What happened to make Ivan run, and run right into two Wild Gryphons." Garet snapped. "Spill it."  
  
Mia tried to sit up. "I.. think.. he'd like to.. keep it.. pri.." With that, she fainted again.  
  
Garet turned, eyebrow raised. "What was that all about?"  
  
Ivan smiled weakly, blushing. "It's just between the two of us, got it?"  
  
The Mars Adept sighed, obviously wanting to know more about this big secret. "Fine."  
  
Isaac, unnoticed by any of them, was making frantic hand motions. Ivan blinked. "Huh?" He walked over to the Venus Adept and Mind Read him. After a while, he turned, nodding.  
  
"Isaac thinks since our main healer's out of commission, we should stop here and rest for a while until she gets her strength and Psynergy back."  
  
Garet shrugged his approval. "OKay, that's fine by me. Let's make camp."  
  
And make camp they did.  
  
  
  
~~~~~ Authoress's Notes ~~~~~  
  
Wow, my longest GS story yet. Even though it's really short, compared to classics like Trials of Destiny and Adrift in Despair. However, I think this is my best GS work.  
  
PT, or more accurately the first chapter, was a one shot. JupiterAdept and Jupiter Girl *sweatdrops at the similarity in names* urged me to make more chapters, even though I saw it as complete. After thinking for a while, I complied, coming out with chapters two and three, and chapter four soon after. And man, are you people good at chapter begging! It's all thanks to you guys that I continued and finished this. -.-  
  
Review replies:  
  
Midnight C: *curtsies* Thank you. I'm honoured. All hail Ivan/Mia, even if it's only one sided!  
  
Triad Orion: Yes to both questions. I torture Ivan so much, between his crush on Mia and his friendly rivalry with Garet... Thank you. Here's more, if you bothered to check. =)  
  
the EMPRESS: This is my first time to write angst (I think), so obviously it worked. ^__^ And chapter four wasn't the end!  
  
Jupiter Girl: Yes, looks like an appropriate name... I swear, the cliffhangers weren't on purpose! I just wanted to... -make you suffer! Mwahahahahaha!!!- *ahem* Yes, he was really dead. Don't you just love Revive?  
  
JupiterAdept: It's all thanks to you and JGirl I made more chappies, so review. =P  
  
Mare Serenitatis: Ivan died. Yes, Ivan died. But he was Revived! Are you happy? =) Oh, and you helped with the "must get more chapters out" process as well.  
  
KawaiiLilGirl/KawaiiLilBoy: Good god, I made someone cry! *is shocked* Thank you for the praise, and adding this to your Fav. Stories list! =D You were another person (people?) who urged me to get more chapters out fast. ^^ Oh, and my friend has a question for you, are you a boy, a girl, or two people sharing an account?  
  
I'd just like to say.. Thank you for urging me to write this! It was fun while it lasted, and I'm still shocked that I made someone cry. *squirms* Happy GS reading/writing, everyone!  
  
Oh, and before I forget, a couple of little side stories in the next chapter.  
  
~~~~~ end Authoress's Notes ~~~~~ 


	7. What was it like, being dead?

Garet lay awake in his pallet, unable to sleep because of the howling wind outside. He turned. "Hey Ivan - still awake?" he hissed quietly. Isaac and Mia were both already asleep, so he thought.  
  
Ivan looked over at the Mars Adept, glaring sleepily. "I'm a Jupiter Adept trying to sleep in the Venus Lighthouse, with wind blowing around outside, and you think I'm asleep. This is -torture-, pure torture. You're insane."  
  
Garet flinches. "SorRY," he said, none too apologetically. "Anyway, I was just wondering." he continued brazenly. "What was it like, being... dead?"  
  
Ivan frowned, thinking back to his time in the afterlife. "All I remember.. There was this HUGE expanse of darkness, and I couldn't hear the wind... It felt like I was underground or something. It was agony, it was torment, it was a hell worse than nighttime here. I felt so stifled. Then I saw this really weak little blue light, I ran towards it but it vanished. The same happened with an even smaller golden light. Then I saw this bigger golden light, I tried to go to it but it was always too far away. And then blue light mixed in with the golden light, and I saw Isaac and Mia, with angel wings... I felt really weak, I was sure I was -really- dead by then. Then there was a huge column of light from above, it had red, gold, purple, and blue strands of light all mixed up into one column. It looked like it was searching for something, then it hit me. I was slammed into the blue and gold light faster than it could get away, and then I woke up. That's why I screamed."  
  
Garet's eyes narrowed. "Wow.. So does that mean if I died, I'd be in the middle of the ocean?"  
  
Ivan laughed. "I don't know, Garet, I really don't know." He smirked. "Although it certainly sounds like it'd be torture for you."  
  
~~~~~ at the same time ~~~~~  
  
Mia lay awake, trying to sort out her feelings. Did she really love Isaac? Did she really only like Ivan as a little brother? Then why did she spend -all- of her Psynergy in his revival?  
  
She turned over. "Mist?" she whispered, sending the musical Mercury Djinni zooming out of alliance with her. "Who was that person, who gave you to me? It had to be another Adept..."  
  
Mist smiled, or at least gave the Djinni's version of a smile. "Not telling," her expression seemed to say.  
  
"Mm.. OKay..." Mia murmured, suddenly sleepy. "G'night... Sweet dreams..."  
  
~~~~~ sort of at the same time... ~~~~~  
  
Ivan was struggling. He -still- couldn't get to sleep... He snapped his fingers suddenly.  
  
"Sleep!" he whispered. The Psynergy washed over all four Adepts and sent them all to dreamland.  
  
*No more nightmares, Mia. Sweet dreams, gods bless. I still love you.* he thought, just before becoming the last to fall asleep from his Psynergy. *And.. thank you...*  
  
  
~*~*~*~ end story ~*~*~*~ 


End file.
